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4.05.2012

Easy Weeknight Dinners

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I'm always asking myself what to make for dinner. When I can't figure it out, I ask My Taste Tester (you think he would have more input, since he is the one eating the food). When he doesn't help, I do what every other woman is doing these days. I turn to pinterest. There, I find an overwhelming amount of ideas.. so many, it makes it even more difficult to decide. So, I decided to put together a list of my go to weeknight dinners and am looking for your suggestions to add to the list.

The Requirements:
something delicious
something nutritious
something that can be thrown together quickly
preferably budget friendly

Comment below your favorite go to weeknight dinners!

1.) Tortizza (Tortilla Pizza)

This one is kind of a no brainer, but delicious everytime. The tortilla can be substituted for french bread, english muffin, pita bread, even a portabella, but I prefer whole wheat tortillas.

How to:

Simply top with a plain tomato sauce, some fresh tomatoes, basil & mozzarella. Bake in oven or toaster oven until cheese is melted. Top with cracked pepper and balsamic. Serve with a side of salad or grilled veggies. Voila!

2.) Special Pasta (well, that's what we like to call it)

We started making special pasta about 2 years ago and have had variations of it almost every other week since. Well, Paul's parents brought us something that has brought our special pasta to a whole other (whole nother?) level. My S-I-L recently started selling Wildtree products, and Paul's mom brought us grapeseed oil and roasted garlic infused grapeseed oil. While I used to chop garlic and sautee, that wasn't exactly weekday friendly. This garlic infused grapeseed oil made last night's special pasta one I couldn't stop eating, and I couldn't wait to eat my leftovers at lunch today. You know how that is when you pack a really tasty lunch for work? Not only did this grapeseed oil taste great, they say it is even better for you than Olive Oil. To read about the health benefits click here.

How to:

Boil some whole wheat noodles to al dente. In the mean time, clean out your vegetable drawer. Chop and sautee any veggies you have on hand in some grapeseed or olive oil. Give a squeeze of 1/4-1/2 of lemon over the veggies for some extra flavor. Combine noodles and veggies. I like to add fresh basil to the dish, but some dried Italian Seasoning will also work. As mentioned above, if you have a garlic (or flavor of your choice) infused oil, add a tablespoon to the dish (regular EVOO also works). Top with a little freshly grated parmesan or pecorino romano. Salt & pepper to taste and crushed red pepper flakes if desired. In this particular version, I used mushrooms, zucchini, spinach and sundried tomatoes (love sundrieds) and garlic infused oil. It was delish!

3.) Cilantro Lime Quinoa Salad

Provided you make the quinoa ahead of time, this dish comes together in a snap! It's full of protein and healthy veggies, so perfect for a light week night dinner (also one of my favorite leftovers to bring to work for lunch).

How to:

Chop tomato, avocado, red pepper, add to already cooked quinoa. Add a can of black beans and corn, both rinsed. Add a teaspoon of cumin. Salt and pepper. Add about 10 roughly chopped cilantro leaves. Cut two limes in half and squeeze over salad. Dinner is served.

4.) Breakfast for dinner.Simple as that. Eggs. Quiche, scrambled, over easy, poached, with a side of veggies, with a side of fruit. Anyway you like. You name it. Have it for dinner.

How to:Click on one of the links above!

5.) Adult Grilled Cheese

Take the childhood classic and glam it up a bit. First off, no American cheese, please. Pretty much any other cheese will do. Stick to one kind, mix it up... the choice is yours. Next, add some veggies. Again, the possibilities are pretty much endless. Then if you really want to get fancy, throw in a slice or two of deli meat.

How to:

Spread a thin layer of butter on the outside pieces of bread. Layer in cheese, veggies, meat and anything else you want to experiment with. Cook on stove over medium heat. Serve with a side salad or soup. Mmm, everytime. If you are feeling rather Parisian, add a fried egg to the top, for your own version of a croque-madame.

This pretty much sums up this evening post. While writing this I was eating my version of the Adult Grilled Cheese. Not too shabby. Now, it's time to start getting ready for our road trip! First things first, shopping list of road trip goodies. What's your favorite on the road snack?